


rainbows and wicker baskets

by avienexjel



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Iron Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: BAMF Heimdall, Civil War Team Iron Man, Heimdall is totally medicine for tony, Phil Coulson Is a Good Bro, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark-centric, even though i don't bash the other side either just fyi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-01
Packaged: 2018-12-09 21:02:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11677017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avienexjel/pseuds/avienexjel
Summary: I was reading a fanfic recently that included the Bifrost and Heimdall, and although it only mentioned him briefly, it got me to thinking...There should be a fic in which like Heimdall, since he can see all, is watching the Avengers - because Thor has asked him to keep an eye out for each of them while he's in Asgard - and notices Tony.  And kind of is like, "WTF why is such a brilliant soul so mistreated?"  And then sends down a gift basket or something to console the billionaire and maybe invite him to tea.So, here it is.





	rainbows and wicker baskets

**Author's Note:**

> I should really, REALLY be working on my other fics, but I'm terrible at updating and if you've come from one of them and you're waiting then I apologize. Real life and all that is honestly a mess:/ On a happier note, I turned fourteen and a half two days ago and I feel proud of this milestone

**rainbows and wicker baskets ||**

 

 

A lot of people forget just how omniscient Heimdall is.  The Asgardians see him and think he wields too much power; they forget he is present in all lives, from the smallest baby's to the broadest warrior's.  They treat him with the utmost respect, for sure, but it is a superficial kind of respect - the kind of politeness one has when they will never really understand the depth of something great.  As for those on Midgard, most regard him as just a myth - even for those who are aware of him, Heimdall tends to slip from their minds.  They don't have much time for the guard of the Bifrost when there are other gods to worry about, like Loki and Thor.  So, yes, most people easily overlook this particular Asgardian.  He exists, and that is all and well, but not much more than that.

Maybe this is why Heimdall feels a strong surge of connection to Tony Stark the moment he really lays eyes on him.  

The genius billionaire philanthropist hero had always been at the back of the Asgardian's mind, but in the way that you might feel a distant breeze - Heimdall feels every single death, every single little thing, but if he were to keep track of each individual Midgardian it would get quite tiring.  So he doesn't really pay _attention_ to Tony Stark until there's notice of an Iron Man suit.  Before that, he'll admit that the man was mostly just like the rest - excluding his massive wealth and one of the world's most brilliant minds.  But after the first flash of red and gold in the corner of his all-seeing eye, Heimdall vows to keep a closer watch on Tony Stark.

His curiosity becomes more like respect after he sees a little more of Tony's life; the man really doesn't die, does he.  Heimdall respects stubbornness, and determination, and will - all things that this strange, remarkable man possesses.  Even with all the creatures Heimdall oversees - and that is too many to count - there is something striking about Stark, something that very few people have.  It is a passion, a strength of soul that only two other people have had that Heimdall knows of.  And that is saying a lot, because not many beings can escape the Bifrost guard's detection and he is very, very old.

After the Ultron debacle on Midgard, one that Heimdall views but does not comment on (the battle itself was just a tangle of miscommunication and reaching too far, and to tell the truth he's a little disappointed in Thor's conduct but the thing in its entirety was just a mess) the blonde god comes back home.  Heimdall greets him as impassively as ever, but nods his head to show his respect for the other man.  Thor has come far from the little boy and rash teenager he once was.  By now, his steady eye on Tony Stark and the rest of the so-called Avengers is due less to interest but more to a tense wariness that one of them will end up self-destructing and cause chaos throughout the entire planet.  As usual, he is not wrong.  When Thor asks him to keep a closer watch on his fellow teammates, Heimdall agrees, only to shake his head at the Captain's antics and the rift that forms to create a "civil war" of sorts.

There is another thing Tony Stark has, that not many others have.  It is a kind of wisdom that Heimdall only possesses because he is so old.  Compared to the Asgardian, the engineer is not even a baby - he has not even come into existence.  But Stark has a way about him, to be able to see things.  And obviously the man is still in ways immature - some things you really cannot understand unless you've lived the span of many lifetimes - but his perspectives are often agreeable and fresh and increase Heimdall's respect in more ways than one.   

In any case, Heimdall surprises himself when a bolt of anger surges in him at the mistreatment of one of the brightest souls in all the nine realms after the "civil war" comes to pass.  Such a figure should garner more deference and honor, yet this Midgardian is beaten down countless times and it's really a wonder how he's still standing, much less functioning.  Heimdall isn't saying Asgardians are brash or anything but he suspects this is somewhat why Loki turned out the way he is - Asgard has less time for lanky magic wielders than big, loud warriors.  Perhaps this Tony Stark would have turned out the same, if not more villainous - he certainly would have reason to - but for that same strength that drew Heimdall's eye to him years before.

It's odd, really - you would think after hundreds of thousands of years and trillions upon trillions of creatures passing under his gaze, Heimdall would be unaffected by such a little blip on his radar.  But maybe it is also because Tony reminds him of himself - too often overlooked, despite monitoring all.  And so he wishes he could let the Midgardian know that at least one person is watching over him, even though Tony is for the most part alone (again).  It is his duty not to interfere with common lives, this is true, but after all it's not against his nature to rebel when necessary.  Besides, sending a little gift basket isn't exactly interfering, it's called being nice.

***

"Stark."

Tony should be more surprised upon hearing Phil Coulson's voice, but to be honest, he's not.  Perhaps he's so used to being lied to and tricked that when he learns something he thought was true, isn't, it's impossible to be shocked.

"Oh.  Phil.  I was wondering when I'd be hearing that pretty voice of yours again," Tony quips, but his heart's not into it.  He wonders briefly if the agent can tell.

"Stark," Coulson repeats on the other end of the line.  "Is this your idea of a joke?"

That catches Tony a little bit off guard - from what he knows, he hasn't done anything wrong lately.  Stark Industries has recently cycled out a massive number of new and ingenious products, and his stocks have skyrocketed, but those aren't bad things, right?

"Depends," he says carefully.  "Now that most of my teammates are gone and I don't need to make them equipment anymore, I've got a lot more time on my hands to be pulling pranks.  So really, I have a lot of ideas."  He tries not to sound bitter even though by all accounts he is.  Obviously he knows Cap and his merry band of followers are hiding out in Wakanda, but he has no wish to bring them back.  They'd only call him names and berate him, and although he could easily throw them in jail just like he did to Thaddeus Ross a few months ago, he's honestly not sure if he wants to.  It's harder than one might think, cutting ties with people you thought were your friends.

Something must've slipped into Tony's voice while he was talking anyway because when Coulson next responds, he's a lot softer.  "Well, I'm glad you're not out of them yet, because I think we all need some lightheartedness in our lives right now.  Meet me at SHIELD base 42 downtown, Stark.  There's something for you that you need to see."

Tony hums, as if he's thinking about whether or not he should actually listen to the somehow-not-dead agent.  "What is it now?  A resignation form?  Another reporter belittling every choice I've made since I was born?"  Okay, so, the bitterness is coming out.  Can you really blame him?  

Phil sighs into the phone.  "Believe me, Stark, it would be more detrimental to the human population to see you resign than it would be beneficial.  And reporters are vultures, you know that.  Besides, if you've been watching the news lately, most of the world agrees with you.  It's only the US that's having a bit more of a problem letting go of their figurehead, although you still have millions of Americans on your side."

Tony continues to hum into the receiver.  "And where do you fall, hm, Agent?  Don't waste time here.  If you're just informing me because this is a problem for SHIELD, don't worry, I'll just do something stupid and then everyone will hate me again.  People love to hate Tony Stark."

Maybe Phil can sense that Tony's just angry and hurt (even though the billionaire does believe the words he's saying, even if he's only saying them to bait the other man) so he stays quiet, letting the silence speak for him.  

Finally Tony huffs, and pulls the phone away from his ear.  "I'll be there," he says.  "But it better be good."

Just before he hangs up, he hears Coulson say, "I used to have what people might term 'hero worship' for Rogers, but that doesn't mean I never had respect for you, Stark.  In some cases, people might find respect to be something more worthy of gaining than reverence.  Respect is built purely on regard for someone's qualities, whereas oftentimes reverence is drawn from stories.  The saying 'never meet your heroes' is a very popular one, I've heard.  You were never my hero, Stark, not in that way.  But don't let yourself think that you aren't one."

Tony thinks about that long after the StarkPhone is set down on the table, thinks about it long after he's set off in his Iron Man suit for the SHIELD base.

***

"So, you called me over because of a basket," Tony says with a heavy load of derision.  Of course, he suspects it's not just a basket - there might even be a ticking bomb inside - but considering Phil was supposed to be dead these past couple years, he might as well help the agent catch up on all the snarkiness he's missed.  

Phil just looks at him.

Tony removes his sunglasses, putting his hands up in a gesture of surrender.  "Okay, okay.  It's not just a basket then.  What exactly is it?"

"It's for you," Coulson says vaguely as they make their way across the dry land of the desert that Tony's been driven to from the base (he could've flown over here easily in his suit but SHIELD just likes to make things slow and difficult).  About a hundred yards away, just a bit less than the expanse of a football field, Tony can see SHIELD assigned workers and agents milling around what looks to be a construction site in the beginnings of its setup.  As the two near the site, Tony notes that they're all gathered around a little crater and there's something smack dab in the middle of it, a little handwoven bamboo basket...oh.  So Coulson really wasn't joking when he said "a basket."  It's just what's inside that seems to be unnerving.

"Go ahead."  Phil motions him forward.  The agent seems to catch his hesitation and adds, "We scanned it for over four hours before we called you here.  It's not dangerous.  We think.  We even had some people examine it personally with their hands, because there was an odd magic aura around it."

"What makes you think I'm not going to spontaneously combust or something?" Tony says, aghast.  He points at the offending object.  "You said it was only for me."

"We tried your DNA on the aura and nothing happened," Phil says in response.  "Go ahead, Stark."

Blowing out a breath and ignoring all the stares and excited whispers of the other agents, he makes his way steadily to the basket.  There's a weird, glowy kind of thing around it, all rainbow-y and pretty.  He touches the bamboo slats carefully, but nothing happens.  Tony peers in.  There's a blanket covering whatever's inside, and seems to be untouched, although a little name tag with the words "Anthony Stark" are printed in beautiful cursive on it.

"We couldn't, ah, actually _remove_ the blanket, even with your DNA," Phil explains with a sort of wince.  "Fury was completely against letting you here, in fact, but we scanned the inside and it appears to be harmless."

"Great.  If I die, I will haunt you _forever,"_ Tony warns.  "Not kidding, Agent."  He slowly removes the blanket, and rainbow shimmers around his fingers as he does so.  Inside, there's a little slip and some weird fruit and flower thingies that don't seem to be from Earth.  There are little golden bulbs that kind of look like a cross between water balloons and apples, and delicate plants with veins running through them as if lightning were drawn on its petals.  Swollen elliptical spheres in dark purples and pinks with curled black leaves lie plump in the basket, presumably "fruit" as well, and slender stems with nearly transparent corollas are bunched next to them.  Looking closer, Tony also notices the most gorgeous crystal fragments he's ever seen littering the bottom of the bamboo wicker, all shades of furious reds and golds.  A little bit starstruck, Tony has to shake himself from examining all this right now and, noticing the slip has words penned on it, withdraws it carefully, almost nervously.

"It's a ticket," he says after a quick moment of perusal.  He quirks a brow.  On it, it says, _for your honorable acts, you are gifted a pass from Heimdall in order to travel to whichever realm you please, as long as the realm itself consents._ In smaller print, _this ticket is only awarded to those whose soul burns brightly throughout the universe.  It has been gifted only two other times to individuals such as yourself.  Use it wisely.  If you would like, you are welcome to a private celebration on Asgard with the provider of this ticket to simply talk and discuss as a meeting between two powerful minds._ It's weird, but he feels like somewhere, somehow, Heimdall is actually speaking into his head as he's reading.  He could've sworn there was a low male voice poking around his own thoughts.

That's all there is on the ticket; he even flips to the backside to check.  Tony's not exactly sure how to use it, but he supposes that Heimdall will know when he wants to go somewhere.  (To be honest, he's not exactly sure who Heimdall is either, but he vaguely remembers Thor talking about some cool dude who guards the Bifrost, a bridge that connects all nine realms of the universe.  And to be even more honest, that's the only guy he remembers Thor talking about.)

Coulson comes up next to him, a frown betraying his thoughts as he looks over the contents of the basket and then the message in Tony's hand.  "I think it's time to ask Thor to pay a visit so we can examine this in more depth."

"Uh, no."  Tony hugs the slip to his chest protectively, even though he knows he's acting like a child.  So what?  It's his.  "Grubby fingers away, please.  This is mine."

"Stark," Phil says in exasperation.  He pinches the bridge of his nose between two long fingers.  "We can't just let you take this.  It's important."

"Yeah, and it's mine," Tony says pointedly, putting his sunglasses on.  "We're done here.  I think I'd like to take Heimdall up on his offer."

As if reacting to his words, the basket surges suddenly with a strong rainbow haze, and Tony grins at it.

"This could definitely be a trick," Coulson says logically.  But Tony shrugs.

"I doubt it."  The voice he heard in his head was not imagined, and there was an aura of trust and power around it.  Tony knows somehow in his bones that that was Heimdall, just as this gift is from him as well.

"Don't let this get to your head, Stark," Coulson says, looking levelly at the other man.  "I'll probably stop by your Tower in a week to make sure you haven't blown yourself up yet with that basket."

Tony quirks a smile.  "Don't worry, it already has.  And I won't - no promises though."  He puts the ticket back into the basket and curls his fingers around it as the plates of his armor materialize around him.  The rainbow aura around the basket strengthens and creeps over the blanket and somehow Tony knows that that's to ensure nothing falls out while he's flying.  "I'll see you later, Phil.  Don't let Fury get his panties in a twist."  It's amusing to tell the truth, the way Coulson just gives him a bland unimpressed look like he's no longer even moved by anything Tony does.  It's a little bit surprising that the SHIELD agent's not doing anything to stop him, even though he could probably have twenty guns aimed at his Iron Man suit right now, but he supposes SHIELD's just figured they should give him a break.  In any case, he's not stupid enough to blow himself up - maybe.  Like he told Phil earlier, no promises.

Tony shoots off into the sky, and even though his armor is still heavy despite the repulsors rocketing him up, there's a lightness around him, a feeling that hasn't been present since before Ultron.  Even though he's only got Rhodey and Vision and Peter and Pepper - and maybe even this new one, Heimdall - one thing he's _really_ beginning to understand that his father never did is that life truly _is_ about quality, not quantity.  So maybe Tony won't ever have his old teammates back like the way they were, but perhaps this new thing - whatever it is - will be enough.  His chest burns blue with the suit arc reactor as he weaves up down through the clouds.  His gift is cradled safely against him, almost like it's trying to hug him through the armor, and there's something even warmer and lovely blooming in his chest. 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I don't reply to comments unless they're questions, but if there's any chance you happened to like this lil fic, please do comment:) they make me happy


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